Friday, 29 February 2008

Also: Graphic Classics: Special Edition - for which I illustrated Conan Doyle's John Barrington Cowles - is being published for Free Comic Book Day on May 3rd. There's a run down of all the featured adaptations and contributors in this Newsarama review. It's a generously whopping 64 pages and to reiterate: is free! If you'd like a copy, please do visit your local comic shop to pre-order one, and y'know, buy something there too.

Monday, 25 February 2008

Here's my take on Picasso's numerous portraits of Sylvette David, with my apologies to both - it's only for fun. It wasn't supposed to be her at first - having drawn the face, figure and clothes I was just stuck for "good hair" and her famous ponytail popped into my head. From there I felt I should add some Picasso-esque ceramics given that they met in Vallauris, the lovely town in which he made his pottery. Sylvette is an artist herself.

Although the inspiring commercial illustrators of the mid 20th Century borrowed much from Picasso, I think the influence for this was also some Kaffe Fawcett paintings I saw in an exhibition a couple of weeks ago, here in Bath. I liked his still lifes of decorative china - like this one - more than the china itself, also displayed.

Also: check out Ryan Kelly's blog. He's awesome and I'm honoured and lucky that we're sharing art duties on Vinyl Underground. I haven't seen the fruits of his labour yet but will be sure to post some. I eagerly await The New York Four, the fourth-coming Minx book he's drawn too.

Friday, 22 February 2008

I was too quick to scan this in and didn't realise I was unhappy with it until it was on screen. Originally she was bare-skinned under her dress, but it didn't really give her the confident sorta look I was after, it just looked crude. So I doctored her wardrobe on the computer and didn't bother drawing the background I had in mind. Still, at least we get to spend this time together, reader!